2012 Cannes Lions Reports Record Award Entries
The 2012 Cannes Lions advertising festival kicks off next week with a record number of entries to its Awards programme. All told, 34,301 entries from 87 countries have been submitted - up 19% on last year.
Among the screen-based categories, Film Lions was up 5% to 3475 entries while Film Craft Lions was up 30% to 1721. The new branded content category saw 800 entries while the new mobile category saw 965. Altogether 287 judges have been drafted in to decide winners and nominees across 15 separate categories.
Commenting on the volume of entries, Festival Chief Executive Philip Thomas said: “The industry is moving at a lightning rate, as evidenced by the huge volume of entries into the new Mobile and Branded Content & Entertainment Lions. But it is also interesting to see the robust health of other, more traditional media like Radio, Film and Press. I am sure that the winners at Cannes Lions will inspire and excite the industry, showing what is possible in creative brand communications."
Some prestigious awards have already been revealed. For example, the 2012 recipient of the prestigious Lion of St. Mark will be Dan Wieden, Co-Founder and Global Executive Creative Director of Wieden+Kennedy.
In 1982 Wieden, together with his creative partner David Kennedy, founded Wieden+Kennedy. Their first client was Nike. After being told by Phil Knight, Founder of Nike, that 'He didn't believe in advertising', W+K set about making some of the greatest advertising that doesn't believe in advertising ever made. Wieden famously coined the Nike tagline 'Just Do It'.
Almost three decades later, the agency that now has offices in Portland, New York, London, Amsterdam, Delhi, Shanghai, Tokyo and São Paulo with nearly 1,200 employees around the world. "Dan’s integrity and brilliance have inspired a generation and gained worldwide respect. While his work is much admired, his vision has reverberated across the industry, changing the course of brand marketing and redefining the structure of the business," said Terry Savage, Chairman of Cannes Lions. "We are proud and honoured to present Dan with the Lion of St. Mark for his outstanding contribution to creativity in communications."
